VZCZCXRO4349
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHCI #0354/01 3590833
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 240833Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2228
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 2723

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KOLKATA 000354 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/PCI, PES/IHB, SCA/INS, STAS, AIAG 
HHS PASS TO NIH/FIC (GLASS/MAMPILLY/HANDLEY) FDA 
(LUMPKIN/WELSCH, GENEVA FOR HOFMAN) 
MAS/DAS/JESTRADA 
MAC/DAS/HVINEYARD 
CDC FOR BLOUNT/FERRELL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU EAGR ECON ETRD SENV CASC PGOV IN BG
SUBJECT: STATE GOVERNMENTS CONTAIN AVIAN INFLUENZA OUTBREAKS IN WEST 
BENGAL AND ASSAM 
 
REF: NEW DELHI 3184 
 
KOLKATA 00000354  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The West Bengal state government (GOWB) has 
completed culling operations in the confirmed Avian Influenza 
(AI) epicenter in Malda district.  The GOWB claims to have 
contained the latest outbreak, citing its limited size and 
better level of preparedness.  One senior GOWB official 
privately conjectured that AI outbreaks may be caused by poultry 
trade with Bangladesh during the Islamic religious holidays. 
While GOWB officials have made themselves available to the 
press, they have not conducted an active public information 
campaign.  The state government confirmed  plans for a H15N 
testing facility in Kolkata by the end of January 2009.  The 
government of Assam reports no new AI outbreaks. 
 
West Bengal Culling Operations Completed 
 
¶2. (SBU) On December 22 West Bengal state government's Rapid 
Response Teams completed culling and mopping operations in the 
villages of Narhatta and Satgharia in Malda district.  Teams 
culled approximately 28,700 birds (9,000 of which were from 
commercial farms) and destroyed 1,255 eggs and 197 kg of feed. 
West Bengal's Principal Secretary for Animal Husbandry 
Development Department Dilip Chakraborty told PolOff that that 
the current AI outbreak in Malda is limited in size, especially 
when compared to the outbreak earlier in 2008, and claimed that 
the GOWB has been able to limit its spread. 
 
¶3. (U) According to Chakraborty, the GOWB distributed 
approximately USD 20,000 in culling compensation per rates 
established in a central government February 7, 2008 directive. 
This circular established the following prices: USD 1 for an 
egg-laying chicken, USD 0.80 for a broiler, USD 1.5 for a duck 
and USD 0.4 for a chick.  Compensation costs are split 50/50 
between the center and the state.  Individual states may top-up 
this compensation program through their own state budgets. 
Assam (see Reftel) doubled the amount paid for a broiler to 
better approximate prevailing market prices.  GOWB officials did 
not see a need to enhance their compensation program which 
admittedly is about half of the prevailing market prices. 
 
No Confirmed Cases of Human Infection 
 
¶4. (U) Both Assam and West Bengal have no confirmed cases of 
human infection.  The Malda district's chief medical officer 
confirmed that four culling personnel had exhibited flu-like 
symptoms; however, one has since recovered, two were asthma 
patients and one is under continued observation. 
 
GOWB's Weak AI Information Campaign 
 
¶5. (SBU) Chakraborty briefs the press daily on the state's 
efforts to manage the AI outbreak.  However, unlike during the 
previous outbreak this year, the department has not updated the 
state's website which has contributed to a lack of official news 
about the AI.  He expressed his displeasure at what he termed 
"sensationalist" and "irresponsible" journalism that he claims 
has focused on isolated instances of culling non-compliance or 
minor logistical differences in implementation.  While he did 
not have a figure for the overall effect on the state's poultry 
industry, he noted that the immediate effect of the announcement 
of AI outbreak had contributed to a 25 percent decline in the 
market price of processed chicken in unaffected districts such 
as Kolkata.  He also told Poloff about the state government's 
plans to have an AI testing laboratory facility operational by 
the end of January 2009.  The facility will be responsible for 
Eastern India and is the only one of its kind outside of Bhopal. 
 It should provide for expedited confirmation in the event of an 
outbreak. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Despite the GOWB's claim that it had completed culling 
and mopping operations in the affected villages, one of post's 
media contacts in Malda cited seeing poultry in villages well 
within the epicenter of outbreak.  He also reported villager 
dissatisfaction with the compensation amount and an initial 
unwillingness to participate in the culling program.  The GOWB 
utilized the local imams to convince the inhabitants of the 
Muslim villages to participate in the culling program. 
 
KOLKATA 00000354  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) In a December 23 meeting Chakraborty privately 
suggested a correlation between the Islamic religious festivals 
such as Eid-ul-Azha and Muharram and the AI outbreaks in West 
Bengal.  During these festivals animals are often exchanged or 
given for sacrifice and there is a significant amount of 
cross-border trade with Bangladesh.  The GOI prohibits the 
export of beef (a central competency) and only the governments 
of West Bengal and Kerala permit its slaughter (a state 
competency).  Cattle producers from throughout India therefore 
export live cattle to Bangladesh for slaughter.  Traders return 
with skins and hides for West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh tanneries 
and with live poultry from Bangladesh.  He personally advocated 
the legal export of beef to limit the cross border trade in 
livestock and poultry and as an additional source of government 
revenue.  While acknowledging the political sensitivities of a 
possible AI/Islamic festival correlation, he said he would not 
be surprised if AI reappears during the January 2009 observance 
of Shiite holiday Muharram. 
 
No New Reports in Northeast India 
 
¶8. (U) There are no new confirmed reports of the H5N1 virus in 
the state of Assam.  Meghalaya has finished culling, mopping and 
sanitization in the affected border region with Assam (one of 
Assam's epicenter's three kilometer radius extends into 
Meghalaya).  There are no reports of unusual bird mortality in 
the neighboring state of Nagaland. 
 
Comment 
 
¶9. (SBU) The current AI outbreak is much smaller than the 
outbreak that occurred previously this year and, as a result, 
has not tested the GOWB's claimed ability to better  contain an 
AI outbreak.  The suggestion of a correlation between AI 
outbreaks and Islamic festivals is worth examining, but in a 
tactful manner given the political sensitivities. 
PAYNE